


Someone

by crowdedangels



Category: Longmire (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 15:45:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17226833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crowdedangels/pseuds/crowdedangels
Summary: "I've been around, honey, you can't fool me."In which Ruby drinks Vic and Cady under the table and imparts a little support and wisdom.





	Someone

“Let’s go.”

 

Vic jumped as car keys clattered to her desk from a height. She looked up from her files to see everyone else had left, it was almost dark out and Ruby’s clear blue eyes staring down at her. “Excuse me?”

 

“C’mon. Get your coat.”

 

“I-I…  _ what _ ?” 

 

“Vic, you’ve been in Durant for three years and I haven’t seen that you’ve made any friends in that time. You’ve just had trauma after trauma and no one to talk to about them, so we’re going drinkin’.”

 

“You and me?” Vic felt like she had already been drinking, her finger pointing between them..

 

“I will drink you under the table, little girl.”

 

Vic’s lips tilted into an impressed smile; she liked a challenge. 

 

They got a table at the Red Pony easily enough and Henry brought over two beers and two tequila chasers - Ruby’s order - to them with a polite word to Ruby and a quizzical look to Vic. “Well, I will leave you to it, ladies, and I will be right over there when you are ready for your jagermeisters and flamin’ Sambuca shooters.”

 

Ruby repositioned her bottle, not looking up to their barman, “Less of the sass, Henry Standing Bear.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” He returned to his bar with a bitten back grin.

 

“So,” Ruby began, fixing her handbag onto her lap and pouring her beer into a glass. “How are you?”

 

Vic shrugged into her first drag of beer from the bottle, “I’m fine.” 

 

“Bullshit.”

 

“Ruby!”

 

“I’ve been around, honey, you can’t fool me.”

 

She looked around the bar as if for inspiration or distraction. She could feel her heartbeat in her chest and it felt like sweat was beginning to bead at the nape of her neck. It was difficult to be open. “I’m…” her hands gesticulated wildly while she searched for the right words, “I'm fucking shit, Ruby. Everything is fucked up. I nearly died, Sean nearly died,  _ Walt _ nearly died. I’m divorced, was getting stalked by my ex-boyfriend for months who then helped Walt  _ save  _ my life and-and… I’m shit, Ruby. Better for you?” her hands were clenched into fists, slightly hunched over the table so she could speak quietly and breathing heavily.

 

Ruby took a beat before gesturing to Vic’s tequila with hers, “Much.” She knocked hers back and Vic followed suit who gestured to Henry for another round. “I'm not going to give you the ‘it's not that bad’ pep talk because it's a miracle you survived this year at all, but you did.” She had a drink of her beer,  “Vic, you're one of the strongest deputies we've had in years and one of the most impressive women. If anyone could survive all this, you can.” 

 

Vic bit her lips together, her emotions still too close to the surface for her liking as her eyes sparkled with tears despite the knee-jerk anger that came along with it. “Thanks, Ruby.” She hadn't realised how much needed to hear that.  

 

Ruby’s feature softened, “Anytime. My desk is only eight feet from yours.”

 

She gave a small smile as Henry brought their next round of drinks, dutifully ignoring Vic swiping at her eyes and draining the rest of her beer. She put the empty bottle on Henry’s tray as the fresh was put in front of her.

 

“Henry!” Cady came up to their table, “Have you seen my Dad?” 

 

“I have not.”

 

Ruby laid her hand on her arm, “Cady, join us for a drink.” 

 

She cast a dubious look to Henry and Vic, “Are you sure?”

 

Vic gestured to a spare chair with the neck of her beer, while Ruby ushered her over, “Of course. Henry, we’re going to need another round.”

 

Henry eyed the new drinks he had just placed on the table. “Another?”

 

“And better get Cady two so she’s not lagging behind.”

 

Henry smiled, “Yes, ma’am.”

 

Cady watched him go and was beginning to question her joining the table, “How many have you had exactly?” 

 

“This,” Vic knocked back the tequila chaser, “is two. And your Dad was at the Res all day but I think he said he would be coming in here later.”

 

“Great, thanks. So, er, what are we talking about?”

 

“The general shit-ness of the last year or so. Maybe five.”

 

A waitress brought over their drinks just in time for Cady to shoot the tequila saying, “Preaching to the choir.” 

 

The night continued well, with drinks, stories and a little laughter flowing easily. Ruby could indeed hold her alcohol and quite possibly better than Vic, but she was blaming her slight inebriation on a lack of food. “We should get burgers.”

 

“I haven't had a burger here in years,” Ruby smiled. 

 

“Remember when John and Henry had that competition out on the parking lot?” Cady grinned, her hand on Ruby’s arm. 

 

“He swore Henry cheated,” she laughed. 

 

“Sorry, who's John?” 

 

“My husband.” 

 

“You’re  _ married _ ?” Vic asked, around the swig of her beer. Surely she would have known if Ruby was married. 

 

“Lost my John 10 years ago - cancer - but we had 32 years together.”

 

“Wow. Sean and I barely had five.”

 

“He wasn’t right for you.”

 

Vic’s eyebrows raised in amusement, flicking a look to Cady before back to Ruby. “He wasn't?” 

 

“You had to weaken yourself so he felt like a man. He was jealous because he knew he was…  what is it you kids say? Punching above his weight? You need someone who sees you for  _ you _ . Strong, intelligent...and stubborn as a damn mule. And someone who loves you for it. Someone who could win a fight but be just as happy to send you in there all fists flying because its a turn-on for him. Someone who makes you  _ feel _ like a girl without you trying so damned hard to be seen as one.” 

 

“Ruby…” Cady warned, watching as Vic's face went slack and eyes glaze as if her mind was spinning.

 

Ruby turned and pointed a finger, “And you…”

 

“Me?”

 

“You, Cady Longmire, are still trying to find yourself so you’ll never find a man worthy of you yet. Branch? Pft. Branch needed someone to adore him and wear his letterman jacket.” She waved a dismissive hand. “I’m sure he was good to you and you two had some fun… but that was never going to last. Figure out who you are and everything you have to offer  _ yourself _ and the right man will come along.” 

 

The two younger women brought their beers to their mouths slowly as shock and questions ricocheted around their minds, both tipping the bottles straight back.

 

Ruby shuffled her seat back, “I'm going to the bathroom. Watch my drink.” 

 

Vic and Cady vaguely nodded, still dumbstruck. “Wow.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh, hey,” Vic gestured to where Walt was stood at the bar speaking with Henry. 

 

Cady made to stand but reconsidered,  “You okay if I…?”

 

She waved her hands to shoo her away, her beer to her lips again. Ruby’s words were still spinning through her mind when the woman in question returned. 

 

_ Someone who could win a fight but be just as happy to send you in there all fists flying because its a turn-on for him.  _

 

_ Someone who makes you feel like a girl without you trying so damned hard to be seen as one. _

 

“That’s the someone.”

 

Vic looked to Ruby, not realising she had been watching Walt with Cady while she reran through Ruby’s speech. ”Hmm?”

 

Ruby nodded her head towards Walt, “ _ Someone. _ ” 

 

“Ruby, we’re not- I haven’t-”

 

“I know, I know. You’d both be a hell of a lot happier and less tense if you were though.”

 

Vic scoffed a laugh as she looked back to see Cady leading Walt out of the bar. He looked over and gave a little wave, a small smile tilting his lips as he saw the grin on hers. 

 

_ Someone. _


End file.
